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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: shower · tube · plane · pitcher · prune · pop · bay · cell

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. pop — to visit
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. cell — a phone
  14. tube — the underground
  15. pop — soda
  16. plane — a tool
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. shower — to wash
  19. prune — to trim
  20. tube — a container
  21. shower — rain
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pop — music
  24. pitcher — a jug

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com